Trouble
by SophieSally109
Summary: AU!Revolution where the blackout never happened. Charlie is moving out of her parents' home and into her Uncle's. She never expected to find Sebastian Monroe there, a soldier that might be the best or worst thing to ever happen to her. BassxCharlie, MilesxNora, with hints of MilesxRachel.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm moving out, Mom," Charlie said with finality. She was standing on the threshold of the doorway, one backpack slung over her shoulder and a suitcase at her feet. Her parents were staring at her, incredulous by the fact that their straight-A student daughter would ever speak those words to them.

"I—I don't—" Rachel, her mother, began to sputter. Silent tears were streaming down her face as she watched Charlie roll her eyes at her mother's blotchy face.

"I'm tired of being treated like a child," said Charlie. She hiked the backpack further up her shoulder and walked out the door, slamming it in her parents face.

Her father hadn't said a word during the entire conversation; he just stared at her with a look that said she would regret setting foot out of the household. Charlie knew she wouldn't regret it though. The household was broken; her parents' marriage was falling apart, and Charlie had an inkling feeling that no matter how hard her father tried to repair it, Rachel would refuse to sort out their problems.

Charlie made her way down the sidewalk and peered into the garage. Her brother had his head bent into the refrigerator and was most likely poking around to see if they had any leftover soda. He looked up when she rounded the corner.

"Charlie?" he said. His eyebrows were raised at the sight of her luggage. "You're not… are you?" Danny didn't even need to ask for clarification, though, as moving out was something that she talked to him about daily.

"I am," said Charlie. "Take care of yourself Danny." Unlike Charlie, though, Danny didn't have any problems getting along with their parents.

Danny strode forward and wrapped his arms around Charlie, causing her to drop her backpack and reciprocate the action of affection. "I will," he muttered into her neck as he stroked her hair.

Charlie pulled away. Danny watched her as she picked up her luggage from the ground and unlocked her Honda. She dropped her luggage in the trunk, then rounded to the driver's side where Danny waited.

"Where are you headed?" asked Danny.

"Uncle Miles's place," said Charlie.

Danny nodded. The two of them always had a good relationship, and Miles would give her the freedom that she craved.

"See you," he said, closing the door once she settled in.

Charlie waved from behind the glass.

The drive to Uncle Miles's was from the suburban neighborhood she grew up in to downtown Chicago, and it was long enough to make Charlie rethink her decision. Her entire life had been centered around her family. After her parents lost their jobs when she was five for whatever reason, they had a hard time finding work. When Charlie was accepted into Georgetown after high school, she hadn't had enough scholarships to pay for the education, nor did she want to apply to the state university that she loathed after one visit. She settled for community college until she made enough money to pay for a better school.

Fifty percent of her earning wage went to her college savings, twenty five to the household income, and the final twenty five for some spending money. That was the way it was split, until now. Charlie would now be keeping fifty percent of her earnings.

Charlie pulled in to the parking garage located next to Miles's apartment building. She grabbed her luggage, locked her car and made her way down the sidewalk. The air had a nip to it, and Charlie pulled her jacket tighter around her waist to avoid shivering. She gave a sigh of relief when she reached the door to his building, and pressed the buzzer to his floor.

The buzzer rang, and a moment later came a voice over the intercom, "Nora? Is that you?"

Charlie hesitated, "It's Charlie."

"Charlie? What are you doing here?"

She bit her lip, "I… it's cold out. Can you let me in, and I'll explain when I'm up?"

The door gave a jolt to signal that it was unlocked, and Charlie ran to grab it. She let herself in and gave a friendly wave to the doorman that was watching her suspiciously.

Charlie rode the elevator up to the seventh floor and stepped out when it reached the landing.

"717," said Charlie under her breath when she reached his door, rapping her knuckles against the white wood.

Miles was almost immediate with answering her knock. The door swung open to reveal him in a white t-shirt and sweat, holding whiskey in one hand.

"Hey," whispered Charlie.

Miles raised his eyebrows at her luggage.

"Long story," explained Charlie.

"Well I'd love to hear it," called Miles over his shoulder as he walked away.

Charlie let herself in, taking in the décor around her. The walls were decorated in military portraits of Miles and some other man, along with family portraits of her own family. As she walked further into the apartment, she noticed a lone picture of her mom. Rachel was standing in a field, surrounded by flowers. She was turning and laughing as the picture was taken.

"I didn't know my mom used to have bangs," commented Charlie.

"What?" said Miles, coming back to where Charlie stood. "Oh. That picture." He walked right back away into the large living room, which was decorated with leather couches and a bar by the window that overlooked the city. A fire was roaring in the fireplace, casting an added glow to the already well-lit room.

"Who's this, Miles?" a voice came from the fireplace.

Charlie turned to find a man around her Uncle's age in a black t-shirt and gym shorts, holding a glass of whiskey himself. He had brown curly hair and sharp blue eyes with the makings of beard along his jaw. Charlie felt her breath catch at the mere appearance of him.

"This is my niece, Charlie," said Miles as he made himself another drink.

The man stood and made his way across the room. As he moved, Charlie notices the muscles that rippled beneath the fabric of his shirt and gulped. "Charlotte, that's right," he said. "Your Uncle talks a lot about you. I'm Sebastian Monroe," he held out his hand to her.

Charlie reluctantly took it, ignoring the spark that raced down her arm. "This is oddly formal," she remarked.

"Cut the shit, Bass," said Miles. "So, Charlie, why are you here on a Tuesday night at…" he checked his watch, "…9 P.M."

"I need a place to stay," said Charlie.

Miles scoffed, "And you assumed my place would be a good one, why? Bass is moving in with me, and I think Nora might start crashing here more often. I already got three people here."

"Please," said Charlie. "I can't… I can't deal with my parents any longer." Her voice broke.

Bass chimed in, "I think this is my cue to leave the room."

Charlie glared at him as he sauntered out, a smug grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

"What do you mean you can't deal with them?" Miles asked, taking the glass away from his lips.

"They fight all the time. They're always home. They suffocate me. I'm 21 years old, and I'm still living at home because they can't afford to send me to an okay college because of some misstep in their job when I was five! And they won't even tell me what happened back then, but I can assume that they did something to piss off their super-important boss because they can't find work anymore! I'm basically holding this family up. Rachel and I fight all the time. She doesn't understand where I'm coming from with anything, and she's so over-protective. She doesn't even let me drink or go out with my friends. I am an adult, and I deserve to be treated like one." Charlie finished her speech with a huff and the crossing of her arms.

"For an adult, you sure do seem whiny," said Miles after a few moments.

Charlie glared at him with a locked jaw, letting him know that it was no time for joking.

"Kidding, kidding," Miles said. He turned and started making another drink. "Here," he said, handing the drink to her. "You can stay here. And I suppose that drink should signify the start to your newly found freedom."

Charlie took the drink from him. "Thank you," she said.

Miles shrugged like it was no big deal. "There's a spare bedroom down the hall. You can make yourself at home, I guess."

"Thank you," Charlie repeated, unsure of what to do with herself. She awkwardly took a sip of her drink, and then set it down on a nearby table. She gathered her things and made her way to the hall to her new bedroom.

The room was sparse with a large window over looking the lake. There was a single queen-sized bedroom with a large white comforter, and perhaps the most surprising decoration was Bass from earlier. He was standing with his own drink overlooking the water.

"Do I have the wrong room?" asked Charlie, dropping her backpack. She knew she didn't, but she need to make her presence known, and what better way to do that than with a snarky comment?

Bass turned, eyebrows raised to see her. "I was just making sure everything was ready for you," he said with a smirk.

"By doing what exactly? Having a glass of whisky and looking pensively out my window?" she asked sarcastically, dumping her luggage on the comforter.

Bass rolled his eyes, "The bed didn't have sheets, and I thought I would extend the courtesy."

"Thanks, but I think I can handle it."

Bass didn't saying anything. He just stood there and watched as Charlie unzipped her bags. "Aren't you going to help me?" snapped Charlie.

Bass walking quietly from his watching station and made his way to the side of the bed she was on, placing himself behind her. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, so softly she could barely hear it. "I think you can handle it." And with that, he left the room, leaving his half-full drink on the bedside table.

When the door closed, Charlie caught her breath, spinning to look at the closed door. She noticed the glass of whisky by the door and lunged for it, remembering that she left her drink in the living room. She downed the drink in one gulp, thankful that her vision became momentarily foggy. The night had been stressful so far, and a flirty conversation with her Uncle's sexy friend was the last thing she needed right now. She needed to focus on herself.

Charlie unloaded her clothes and deposited them in the dresser. She took out a picture of her and Danny when they were little and put it on her bedside table, letting her finger linger on his face. She put her toiletries in the adjoining bathroom that, she now noticed, was shared with the oh-so-sexy Sebastian Monroe. There was a door on the opposite side that connected to his messy room.

Once Charlie was done settling in, she heard a cheer come from the living room. She nervously exited the room and saw the door being opened by Miles to reveal a pretty girl with dark hair that looked only about ten years older than herself.

"Nora!" said Miles happily as he planted a kiss on her lips and took the large purse she was holding from her hands and deposited it by the doorway.

"Hey Miles," she reciprocated his hug and locked eyes with Charlie over his shoulder. "Who's this?"

Charlie walked down the hallway to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Charlie," she said. "I'm Miles's niece."

"Oh thank God," Nora said, placing her hand over her heart laughing, "I thought you were one of Bass's one night conquests, and I was worried because you looked so young. It's so nice to meet you!" Nora didn't extend her hand, which Charlie was grateful for. The action seemed much too formal.

"Drink?" asked Miles.

"Yes please," said Nora as she gave Charlie an extra smile, following Miles into the living room. Charlie did the same, spotting her drink on a nearby table.

Charlie noticed Bass sitting by the fire, engrossed in his phone. Miles and Nora were chatting by the bar, and she never felt more out of place. She took another nervous sip, followed by a larger gulp.

Watching Bass, Charlie realized just how much trouble she really was going to get into now. Her mother was right.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie woke the next morning with a throbbing headache and a solid stream of sunlight hitting her bed. She groaned and rolled over, taking the covers with her. Her phone that was perched on her bedside table buzzed, and she grabbed it to the read the new message. It was from Rachel. Without even bothering to read it, Charlie threw her phone across the room, then immediately regretted it and hopped out of bed to retrieve it, checking for any scratches. She then perched herself on the corner of her bed, and unlocked her phone to read the message.

_I am so sorry. Please come home. We'll talk then. Xx, Mom._ Charlie rolled her eyes and threw it onto her pillow, providing it with safe landing this time. She walked over to the door to the bathroom that was closed and walked in without bothering to knock.

As she entered, Charlie was hit with a wall of steam that didn't disperse until a few moments. When the steam did even out, Charlie was left with the image of Sebastian Monroe, standing shirtless with a towel wrapped low around his waist.

"Good morning Charlotte," he said with a even smile, pausing his shaving routine to spare her a glance. His composure momentarily faltered at the sight of her, however. Charlie was dressed in an old t-shirt, panties and no bra. Because of the new temperature difference, Bass could just make out the outline of her straining nipples, and had to swallow in order to regain his façade.

"Yeah," said Charlie in response to his good morning, sparing herself a quick look in the mirror. Her hair was falling in long waves across her shoulders, and even without make up, her skin was clear. She pulled out her toothbrush from a nearby drawer and grabbed Bass's toothpaste.

"Hey, make yourself at home why don't you?" said Bass, snatching the toothpaste away from her. "This is mine."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I realize," she said. "In my hurry to escape the prison that is my parent's house, I forgot toothpaste. Now, can I please borrow some?"

Bass smiled, tapping his razor against the sink and rinsing it off as he finished shaving his neck, leaving the hair on his jaw. "All you had to say was please, Charlotte," he said, uncapping the toothpaste and squirting a fair amount over the bristles. While he did this, he kept eye contact with Charlie, allowing his tongue to dart out over his lips so fast that Charlie could have believed she imagined it. When Bass pulled away, Charlie realized she was staring and quickly righted herself to look in the mirror.

The two went about their business with little interaction and avoided the other's eye contact as much as possible. The steam of the bathroom made Charlie's hair stick to her neck, but she ignored it until she was back in her bedroom. Once in her new room, she dressed herself in jeans, combat boots and a knit sweater perfect for the colder weather. Christmas was coming up, and the small college that she attended had let out for break a week earlier.

Charlie looked out over the lake and watched as a light snow drifted over the town. She moved from her perch that had matched the same as Bass's from the night before and made her way out of her room into the kitchen. She found Nora in there making eggs in bare legs and Miles's green sweatshirt hanging around her thighs. Nora turned to find Charlie and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," said Nora, scarping the eggs from the pan onto her plate. "I forgot to dress decently."

"Don't worry about it," said Charlie, opening the fridge in search of something to drink.

"There's coffee over there," said Nora, pointing to a steaming mug of coffee. "I heard you get up, and I thought I'd make some." When Charlie made no move to thank her or grab it, Nora added, "You know, as a house-warming present."

"Thank you," said Charlie, grabbing the mug and taking a sip. She preferred it with sugar and cream, but decided that black would have to do for today.

Nora settled in at a seat, and Charlie sat across from her, avoiding Nora's gaze and sipping at the coffee with only mild interest.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" asked Nora, looking up from the newspaper in her left hand and she scooped eggs into her mouth with her right. Charlie shrugged.

"Jason asked me to meet him for lunch, but I'm not really feeling it," said Charlie as Bass walked in. His eyes made quick contact with Charlie's and he began to smirk. Charlie looked away.

"Looks like someone made me breakfast!" he said to Nora, who covered up her plate with her chest immediately.

"I don't think so, Bass. Make your own!" said Nora, swatting him away from her precious food with her newspaper. She straightened out and turned to Charlie again. "Is Jason your boyfriend?"

Bass, who was searching the fridge for something to nibble in, slammed the door to pull back with a jug of orange juice. He stared right at Charlie as he unscrewed the cap and leaned back to take some gulps from it, causing his t-shirt to ride up, exposing a small dusting of hair on his lower stomach. Charlie averted her gaze and focused on Nora's question.

"Yeah," she said. "He just graduated from the University of Chicago, and has been pursuing me relentlessly since."

"What's he like?" inquired Nora, who obviously had no interest, as her eyes were still trained on the article in front of her. Charlie had a sneaking suspicion that Bass was more interested in her words than Nora was.

"He's okay… I guess," said Charlie. "His dad's a piece of work."

"Sorry to hear that," said Nora, as she scooped the rest of her eggs into her mouth and folded the newspaper up. She stood from her chair and put her plate into the sink. "I'm going to go wake up Miles and then we're probably gonna head out for the day. That okay?"

Charlie felt like a child once more, but this time Nora was her mother and Miles was her dad; Nora was asking her if she would be okay on her own, as if Charlie wasn't old enough to be married as it was.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Charlie, a hard expression on her face.

Nora paused on her way to Miles's room and understanding crossed her face. She knew what Charlie was feeling, but didn't remark on it, and simply left the room, leaving Charlie and Bass.

The two were consumed in silence for a few minutes until Bass broke the silence, "She didn't mean it like that, you know."

"Whatever," said Charlie, standing from the table and dumping the now rancid coffee down the drain. She exited the kitchen and entered the living room, plopping down on the couch and turning on the T.V. She heard Bass behind her, dragging his feet until he too sat himself down on the couch. They were both staring straight forward, posture completely straight, feet on the ground.

The news on the television did little to capture Charlie's interest, and she could feel Monroe's head turn to look at her. "Wanna go do something?" she heard him ask.

"Like what?" she rolled her eyes and turned to face him, expressionless.

"You really don't like me, do you?" he said, tilting his head slightly.

"And what makes you say that?" asked Charlie sarcastically, leaning against the arm of the couch and scooping her legs up so that her chin rest on her knees and she completely faced him.

Monroe put one of his legs on the couch and his arm on the back of it, leaning towards her so that they were only a foot apart. "Call it… intuition."

A breathless laugh escaped Charlie's lips, and she dropped her legs. She leaned forward a bit, cutting their distance to a total of nine inches. "You're full of shit," she said.

Neither spoke for a few moments, until a gasp was heard from the other room. Both of their heads whipped in the direction of the noise, which was succeeded by three high-pitched squeals and a low moan.

"Oh my God," said Charlie, leaning away from Monroe, her cheeks burning. Miles and Nora were having sex—_loud _sex.

Bass threw his head back and laughed, "They're going at it again. Now I'm guessing that you _really _wanna get out of here?"

Charlie nodded, "Yes please."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews so far! They are much appreciated. I'm not sure where I'm really going with this story, but I'm really liking it so far. Anyway, I'm sorry I'm not too good at writing humor, but just bare with me! I'm hoping the dialogue will make up for that. Ugh, also I suck with sexual tension. Please R&R though! Thanks xx

* * *

Charlie exited the apartment building with Bass on her heels, the cold air hitting her like a train as she stepped outside.

"Colder than I thought it'd be," commented Charlie, pulling her sweater tighter.

Bass joined her side, "I'd give you my jacket, but—" he shrugged, "—no jacket to give." It was true. Bass was clad in just a thick sweater that had the word '_Marines_' printed across it and grey pants.

"You're gonna be freezing," said Charlie.

"At least I got a little something to keep me warm," winked Bass as he turned a corner to the parking garage, obviously referring to Charlie as that thing to keep him warm.

Charlie scoffed. "In your dreams," she said.

"Actually," said Bass, as he led her to his vehicle, "in reality."

Bass walked up to a black motorcycle with a helmet hanging from the handle. The bike was sleek, but not modern or new. It was something you would see out of vintage films, something teenage girls would typically fawn over if they saw Bass on something like that. Or any guy on a bike like that, for that matter.

Charlie's cheeks burned as she walked up to it. "Where are we going?" she asked as she accepted the helmet that Bass offered her.

"Where do you want to go?" Bass asked, leaning against the parking garage wall. When Charlie failed to come up with an answer, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and pulled one out. He put it in between his lips and began to pat his pockets, searching for a lighter. "You got a lighter?" he asked, his lips unmoving as they held the cigarette filter in place.

"No," snapped Charlie.

Bass pulled one from his back pocket and winked at her as he lit it. Charlie watched him, arms crossed, and couldn't help but stare as he breathed in the smoke and exhaled, the smoke hanging around his body before dissipating. He noticed her gaze and pulled out the pack again. "You want one?"

Charlie hesitated. In all of her 21 years of life, she had never so much as tried a cigarette. Bass sensed her hesitation. "Come on," he said. "You've never had a cigarette before?"

Charlie didn't answer. She locked her jaw and lowered her gaze though, in a sense of warning. He didn't want to push her.

Bass seemed to get the message that he couldn't peer pressure her into it, but waved the pack before her, eyebrows raised. "You sure?"

Charlie licked her lips. "Might as well," she said. "I'll probably hate it though, and never want to do it again." She walked forward and took the offered cigarette from Bass, holding it between her index and middle finger, hand shaking. Bass noticed, and grabbed her wrist, steadying her hand. The skin to skin contact sent a jolt through Charlie's arm, and she raised her gaze to his own, blue eyes meeting blue.

Without breaking eye contact, Bass lifted her hand for her to her lips. Charlie parted them, inserting the filter in between her recently moistened lips. Bass didn't say a word as he pulled the lighter from his back pocket again, lighting the end of the cigarette.

"Inhale," he said when the flame failed to light.

Charlie did so, and the smoke burned her throat as she did. She pulled the cigarette away from her lips and doubled over, coughing. When she righted herself, she found Bass grinning at her, leaning against the wall again. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked, flicking the ash from the end of his.

"Hardly," said Charlie. She didn't toss the cigarette though, but let it hang limply in between her fingers.

"I remember my first cigarette," said Bass. "Reacted the same way you did. Miles and I were ten years old and found them in my parent's top drawer. We stole two and waited a week until we were on a Boy Scout's camping trip to try them out. When everybody had gone to sleep that night in their tents, we snuck out and walked forever until we tried it. We had to use a match. I only coughed a little like you, but Miles—oh man. He threw himself onto all fours and puked up his dinner."

Charlie found herself laughing along with him and lifting the cigarette to her lips again. It didn't burn like last time, but it was still enough to make her cough once.

"He hasn't smoke since," continued Bass. "I stopped until I was… until I was your age, actually. Twenty-one. Just bought a pack at the gas station one day and went at it again."

The next time Charlie sucked the smoke back, she didn't cough and gave herself a mental pat on the back. Since she wasn't concentrating on the burning smoke of last time, however, she tasted the flavor of the nicotine and cringed. She flicked the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with her foot.

"Don't like it?" asked Bass as he stomped out his own.

"Hate it," answered Charlie. She was partially stopping because she didn't want it to seem like she was trying to impress him—which she wasn't. Charlie just simply wanted to break out of the box her mother and father had dutifully built around her since she became old enough to wear a bra. After a moment of silence, Charlie asked, "Are you addicted?"

Bass laughed. "No, not at all," he said. "For some reason, that never hit me. I just smoke every once in a while."

"When you're trying to seem cool in front of a girl?" smirked Charlie. She knew his game. Jason played it when he was first trying to date her.

"I don't have to try there," Bass said, handing her the helmet to the bike. "It comes naturally."

"Oh, that sentence hurt," said Charlie. "The fact that you're saying you don't try makes it seem like you're trying even harder."

All of the sudden, Bass walked forward to Charlie, his gaze darkening. Charlie stepped backwards, finding herself trapped against the wall. Bass put his forearms on either side of her head, his nose but inches from her own.

"Trust me," he said. "You'd know if I were trying."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! They are truly what keep me going with this story. This is a really short chapter, but I plan on uploading another one tonight so please don't get discouraged! Also, I should warn you that there is mature content in this chapter, as it involves (**spoiler!**) masturbation. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Charlie and Bass ended up not leaving the building after all. Bass had pushed her up against the side of the building, challenging her and as soon as he pulled away, they made an unspoken agreement to leave the bike where it was and return to the apartment. On the elevator ride up, the air was sparkling with electricity, but neither one of them made a move to speak nor touch each other. The ride was one of the most awkward experiences she had ever experienced, and she knew Bass felt it too.

Once the elevator gave a _ping! _to signify that they had reached their floor, Bass stepped out so fast, Charlie might have thought she was a plague. She wasn't far after him, and when they reached the door, Bass began to unlock it.

"Wait!" said Charlie.

Bass rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What?"

"Are we sure Nora and Miles are… you know… done?" Charlie said, biting down on her bottom lip. Bass's eyes flicked to where she was nibbling for a millisecond before returning to the "safe zone" of her forehead.

"Trust me," he said, "they were done as soon as we left." He unlocked the door and stepped in. Sure enough, Nora and Miles were cuddled up on the couch of the living room with bored expressions.

"Hey, where were you guys?" asked Miles, his fingers playing with the hem of Nora's shirt.

"Went outside for a smoke," said Bass, retreating immediately down the dark hallway. Charlie heard the door to his room slam a moment later.

"What's his problem?" said Miles. He shifted himself to look over his should to the hallway before settling in again.

Charlie leaned against the doorway, her arms coming to rest protectively over her ribcage. As soon as Bass had pulled away from her in the garage, there had been a shift in the air between them. Why that shift had happened, she didn't know. But she certainly didn't like it.

* * *

Bass stared himself in the mirror, his expression clouded with anger. Down in the parking garage before with _Charlotte _had been a moment so strong that he had felt a pull in his lower stomach and wanted nothing more than to capture her lips with his own; he wanted to take her then and there against that wall, but it had taken every molecule of his very being to pull away.

Bass yanked himself away from the mirror and collapsed on his bed. The memory of her, flushed and pushed against his chest made his groin stir. Bass groaned and tried to will away the hard on that was now pushing against his boxers, straining to be released. His hand wandered down towards the button on his jeans, but he stopped himself just in time, pulling his hand back up to his chest. Bass sat up and grunted in frustration.

What was it about Charlotte that enticed him so? She was half his age; twenty-one, the age that had corrupted him and made him into a pessimistic outsider with only Miles as his friend. Twenty-one had been his year of rebellion as well, full of shady nights and strong liquor. The alcohol had caused him to turn to violence, and he remembered on more than one occasion where that violence had caused Miles to stop speaking to him for weeks.

Miles was always there, though, sooner or later. He always brought out the best in Bass, for which he was thankful. But now Miles had allowed this young temptress into their apartment, and she had been tainting his every thought. He saw how her breath caught every time he was near her, or when he would utter her birth name _Charlotte _like it was some naughty secret.

His groin stirred again, making his pants pull to keep it restrained. Bass gave in though, his hand reaching into his pants and gripping himself fully. He pulled himself out and sighed as his hand began to make quick work. Bass thought about Charlie's long hair, and her perky breasts that remained hidden from him underneath her dark shirts. He imagined her above him, naïve and innocent, screaming his name as pounded into her harder.

Before long, Bass found his release and fell off the bed onto the floor, exhausted. Even if his body had found itself sated for now, Bass knew it wouldn't be too long until he was craving Charlie again.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Okay, so I'm hoping that this chapter will make up for the extremely short last one! Spoiler: I wanted to write Jason and Charlie as two people that genuinely do like each other, so please don't give me any backlash for that. I wrote this story for Bass and Charlie, so there really isn't any competition for Jason to walk away with Charlie. You guys will like the next few chapters, I do have a plan as to how the story is gonna build up. There WILL be Bass x Charlie action to come! Please R&R! They are honestly fueling this fic.

* * *

About a week passed by since Charlie and Bass shared their moment in the parking garage. Ever since then, Bass refused to give her the time of day and acted like she was a leper, finding any opportunity to shoo himself away. Charlie didn't understand why, but went with it. She still poked fun at him, giving him snarky comments, which usually ended with a high-five from Miles. Bass hardly ever reciprocated the insults and simply glowered from behind whatever food he was immersing himself in at the moment (typically cereal).

On the eighth day of living in the apartment, her phone began buzzing on her dresser. It was 7 A.M., and Charlie had about a billion things to do that day, seeing as she had been putting off most of her schoolwork in trade for her new freedom.

Charlie pulled herself out of bed, sparing herself a yawn as she grabbed her phone. Danny was calling; Danny hadn't spoken to her much over the past few days, but Charlie had just assumed that he was busy with his own life.

"Danny!" answered Charlie, a warm smile spreading across her face.

She heard his voice on the other end, but it was too scratchy for her to understand. Charlie frowned. The reception here was awful, as proved a day or two ago when Jason yelled at her for not answering his calls.

"Hang on, Danny, the Wi-Fi in here is so bad. I'm moving to the living room, so give me a second." Charlie peered out of her door, phone pressed to her chest, and bounded out of her room, collapsing onto the leather couch. "Okay, I'm back. What's up?"

"How are you?" his voice sounded immediately. It sounded whiny and needy, causing Charlie to roll her eyes and pick at her split ends.

"I'm fine," said Charlie. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, no," reassured Danny. "I just miss you is all."

Charlie sighed. Her brother, just like her, was sheltered and not used to spending every waking moment without a family member to help them with their day. "Miss you too," Charlie said with a nonchalant tone. Her mind wasn't really on the conversation, and she began to flip through the channels until she found some show from the 60s to occupy her thoughts.

"Would it be okay if I stopped by today?" asked Danny, his voice sounding hopeful.

Charlie bit her lip. Nora had mentioned decorating the apartment for the upcoming holidays, something that appealed to Charlie, as she had really never had the opportunity to experience it for herself. Her parents, who were strict atheists, had never been much for the holidays. "I guess, if you want to," said Charlie. "We're decorating for Christmas today." She heard Danny start to reply, but cut him off, "Oh, and can you grab my vinyls and dream catcher from my room? I was so busy last week that I forgot to grab them on my way out."

"Yeah, no problem. What time should I come over?"

Charlie sensed a movement behind her, and she turned to find Bass in the doorway. His expression was dark, if not perturbed and he was staring at he with a sense of… annoyance, perhaps? "Um… come over anytime after nine." Miles was usually grumpy anytime before that, and apparently so was Bass today.

"Sounds good," said Danny. "Love you."

"Bye," Charlie hit end on her phone, eyes still locked on Bass, who also refused to look away. "You okay?" asked Charlie.

Bass did not answer her question, but he walked away slowly, leaving Charlie even more confused than she had been before by his distant behavior. Instead of chasing after him, like she normally would have, Charlie relaxed into the couch and let herself drift in between consciousness and sleep. The time passed quickly, and she soon found herself nodding off when the door buzzed. Charlie jumped up to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked, pressing the apartment button.

"Charlie? It's Jason," came the voice from the other side.

Charlie's eyebrows crinkled together. Her eyes darted to the clock, revealing the time to be 8:28. Too early for Danny. She still thought it odd though, that Jason was dropping by without a moments notice.

"Uh hey," she said. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?"

Like Bass form earlier, Charlie didn't respond, and almost walked away as well. She hit the buzzer and let him in, hearing the muffled 'thank you' as he walked in.

Charlie took a step or two away from the buzzer and mentally prepared herself for his visit. Realizing she was without make up and real clothes, she darted into her bedroom for a quick change, throwing on a bra and sweatshirt with her dad's bug exterminator company printed on the back. She walked to the bathroom and rubbed some cover up over her prominent dark circles.

By the time she was done prepping herself, there came a knock at the door and Charlie ran to get it, elbowing Bass out of the way to get there before him.

"Hey!" she said, her hair brushing past her shoulders and she halted to a stop before Jason.

"Hey," he replied, pulling her in for a big hug. To give Jason credit, he wasn't big on public display of affections, for which Charlie was grateful. Jason pulled away, and she saw that his eyes were not trained on her, but something behind her. Charlie turned to find Bass in his sweats and loose t-shirt, staring at the scene with a slight smirk on his face.

Charlie hadn't seen that smile since the parking garage, and the sight of it made her stomach flip.

Bass strode forward and extended his hand to Jason, much like he did on the day he had first met Charlie. "You must be Jason," he said. Charlie noticed how his inflection changed in his voice. It went too cracking and amusing, to smooth and controlled. Jason took Bass's hand, and they shook.

"And yours is?" asked Jason.

"I'm Sebastian Monroe," he said. "Charlotte's told me a lot about you." That sentence was bullshit, Charlie knew. She had only ever told him Jason's name. A realization dawned on her that he had pulled the same line when she had moved in, making her think that Bass had thought about her before he met her.

_Lying son of a bitch_, thought Charlie shrewdly as she watched Bass's eyes briefly flick towards her before he stepped aside.

"Please, come in," he said.

"Thanks," said Jason. "So are you her Uncle?"

"No, that would be me," a voice came from down the hallway. Charlie turned to see Miles striding towards them in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers. The moment reminded her of something her dad would do, and Charlie had to stop herself from giggling at the sight.

"Oh," said Jason blankly. "Then who are you?"

Charlie could sense the suspicion in Jason's voice and hit herself over the head for not explaining her situation to him beforehand. Jason thought she was just staying with Miles, and now the image of an attractive, older man must have been shocking for him to say the least.

Bass only smiled and gestured for him to come further inside. Charlie knew that Bass was trying to stir the pot with not answering Jason's questions directly, and when Jason stepped in her gave him the biggest death glare she could muster, along with the _cut-it-out_ motion of sliding her fingers across her neck. Bass only winked back.

"That's Bass, my friend from the Marines," explained Miles, holding out his hand to Jason. The two shook.

"Does he live here?" asked Jason.

"Yep," said Bass, popping his lips on the 'p.'

Jason shot Charlie a knowing glance, but Charlie just playfully rolled her eyes and gave him a chuckle. Charlie would have never pegged Jason for a jealous guy, but his actions said otherwise.

"If you guys will excuse us," said Charlie, moving forward to grab Jason's hand. She pulled him down the hallway, and Jason followed. They ended up in her bedroom, with Charlie locking the door behind her.

"What the hell?" asked Jason as soon as Charlie turned to face him.

"What?" asked Charlie, playing dumb. It was better that way; it would make her seem less defensive.

"You didn't tell me that you were living with another guy that isn't family?"

"I'm sorry," said Charlie, her lower lip pouting. "But it does not mean anything, I promise. I hate that guy, anyway."

"Are you sure?" asked Jason.

"Positive," said Charlie, moving forward. She placed her hands on both of his biceps and leaned forward. "The only guy for me is you."

Charlie pecked him on the lips, and Jason immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. His lips were soft, and Charlie sighed into the kiss, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth and explore. Jason moaned, letting his hands tangle in her hair. He pushed her back, letting her fall onto the mattress. He scramble on top of her and started licking her neck, which would have been hot if it didn't remind Charlie of a dog.

At that moment, the door burst open, and Jason flew off of Charlie at lightning speed, ending up in the corner of the room, hands held high above his head as if he was being caught for a crime he did not commit. Miles was staring at the scene with raised eyebrows. He was fighting a smile.

"Uh, I was wondering if anyone wanted breakfast."

"No," said Charlie sternly. The word came out of her mouth before Miles had even finished his sentence.

"Right," said Miles, closing the door quietly behind him.

Jason was still across the room, looking a little more than embarrassed. Without warning, Charlie started giggling, and Jason soon joined in. "Come on," she said, extending her hand to him, wiggling her fingers. "I guess we can have something to eat."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Sorry it took me so long to update! I was on vacation with my family in Mexico, and there was literally no wifi anywhere to allow me to upload this chapter. I tried to make the chapter kind of longer by popular request, and it's almost 2000 words. I know that's like nothing, but I'm going to upload a second one tonight to make up for lost time. Also thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! Your comments and patience with me is much appreciated. Also, feel free to be critical of my writing.

**Content warning**: this chapter contains light masturbation.

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After a bit of kissing and cuddling on Charlie's bed, Jason and Charlie exited her bedroom holding hands. Charlie had a slight smile on her face and found herself to truly be happy in the company of Jason. Jason looked at her as if his life depended on it, and it did make her feel like a billion dollars. Something was missing between them, though… Charlie chalked it up to not knowing each other well enough yet, where the true answer laid somewhere else, somewhere that she did not allow her thoughts to venture.

They entered the kitchen to the smell of eggs and bacon, to which Miles was tending. He looked over his shoulder and grinned, "Thought you two might be able to keep your hands off of each other for a minute in order to grab a bite."

Charlie smacked him on the shoulder, and Jason blushed.

Sitting at the table were Bass and Nora, who seemed to be watching the scenario being played out before them. Nora had a twinkle in her eye as she watched and gave Charlie a wink as she sat down to the right of Bass. Jason sat across from Charlie, next to Nora.

"This is Nora," said Charlie. She pointed a finger to Nora, who Jason nodded to.

Charlie could feel Bass's eyes on her as Miles set the food in front of her. "So how did you two meet?" he asked suddenly, causing Charlie to cough on her orange juice.

"On a bike trail," she said. Her eyes were still trained on her food, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of her gaze. "This idiot wouldn't stop following me. When we finally reached the end, he followed me to my car. It should have been creepy, but…" Charlie paused, and faked a reminiscent smile as she stared at Jason. "It wasn't."

Charlie wasn't one for romance; ask any of her high school boyfriends and they would agree. Jason's actions had struck her as odd at the time, and she still thought them that way. But Bass was obviously playing a game with her, a game where she could up the ante and pretend to be hopelessly in love with Jason. She figured if he thought they were happy, then he might stop inquiring after him.

"Sounds a little creepy to me," murmured Bass, only low enough for Charlie to hear.

The doorbell rang at that moment, and Charlie jumped to get it. Danny had finally arrived.

She flew from the table and pulled open the door, happy to see her smiling brother in front of her. "Hey!" she said, flinging her arms around his neck.

His croaky voice whispered a greeting as well. She pulled him by the hand into the already crowded kitchen and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Everyone, this is Danny."

The kitchen mumbled a response back. Danny didn't seem to respond as he normally would though, and stepped in front of Charlie to turn towards her, angling them away from the group. "Can I talk to you alone?" he asked.

"Sure," said Charlie. They walked away silently, into Miles's study across the hall that was hardly ever used. There was a desk overlooking the city with a huge window for a wall, not to mention the bookcases that had leather bound nonfiction entirely at Charlie's disposal.

"Is everything okay?" said Charlie, once they were situated by the window. She had stationed herself at the bar and began to pour herself a drink. Miles had taught her a few nights ago how to mix her own drinks with just the right amount of alcohol for morning usage—now she was an occasional smoker and constant drinker, her mother's dream.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Danny raised his eyebrows at Charlie's drink.

Charlie swatted her hand at his arm, "Please, my alcohol tolerance is unbelievable. Miles says it's because I'm a Matheson, whatever that means." She took a sip, grateful for the liquid courage.

"If you're sure…" Danny trailed off. His expression was one of disproval, but Charlie just rolled her eyes.

"What did you need to talk about?"

Danny turned to the window and looked out across the skyline, his jaw hard and locked. His hands were in his pockets. "I need…" he hesitated. "I need money, Charlie. I want to move out too."

Charlie blinked at his words. Never in a million years would she have thought that Danny was the type to leave their parents; he was a mama's boy, to say the least. As a child, he constantly followed Rachel around like a puppy. The fact that he wanted to move out spoke volumes; their parents' marriage truly was crumbling.

"What's happening?"

"It's the same," Danny's voice cracked. "Just more of the same. I thought things might get better, but… they're not. I need $5,000. As a starting price, at least. To get my own place, or whatever. And it's not like your poor or anything. You're actually pretty well-off."

Charlie blinked at Danny's words. The way in which he spoke was… assuming. Like she would just hand him the money at a moment's notice. And $5,000 for an apartment? Danny had a job waiting tables at a nice restaurant—the pay was nice, and the customers always tipped well.

Charlie tipped back the last of the drink, feeling soft around the edges. She shook her head slowly, "No. I'm sorry. I don't have that kind of money. I need it for myself."

Danny turned himself fully towards her now, and Charlie never realized how tall he was; he did look like a grown-up and felt herself blinking back tears at the realization. Danny was not her kid brother anymore. She had to stop taking care of him every step of the way. It was his turn to clear the trail for himself.

"But Charlie…" began Danny, reaching out to her.

Charlie took his hand and looked up at him. "I'm sorry. But you're going to have to figure this out on your own."

And with that, she left him in the study. His silhouette was dark against the white of the outdoors. He was slumped over with the sudden burden of life.

Charlie returned to the kitchen to find Jason laughing with Bass, Nora and Miles. They seemed to be nearly in tears at the prospect of something Bass had mentioned. At the sound of Charlie entering, Jason stood and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey babe," he said, not noticing her red cheeks.

"When's your brunch?" asked Charlie, remembering his texts from yesterday. HE had just gotten a job at the political offices for his father and was supposed to meet some high-brow politicians this morning.

"Oh!" said Jason, like he was just remembering. "I have to get going." Jason stood and started walking out. "It was nice meeting everyone," he told the room. They left the kitchen, and Charlie managed to sneak a peek inside the study, where Danny no longer was. He must have slipped out when Charlie had retrieved Jason.

Charlie walked with him to the door, where he loitered for a few seconds. "I guess I'll see you later?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Charlie.

"Nora mentioned something about a party here this Saturday, but I can't make it. I'm going with my dad to some White House thing—but I'm sure you understand."

"Of course," said Charlie, with a weak smile. She stood up on her tip toes and pecked him on the cheeks. "Have a nice time."

Jason gave her a smile and walked out, leaving Charlie with a hollow stomach. He hadn't noticed the pain of her having to let her brother go to find his own way, and for some odd reason, it had caused her to take a beating from it. She was always told by her father that boyfriends should be perceptive, and Jason was not of that trait. Stung, Charlie turned and found her way to the living room to lie down on the couch, casting a dramatic hand over her face.

There was a shift in cushioning, and she removed her hand to find Bass at the other end. He was staring at her with an amused expression, to which Charlie took great offense.

"What's your problem?" she snapped, not bothering to move her legs.

"That was an interesting visit from your boyfriend," said Bass. He had hardly spoken to her in week, and now he was pushing for girl talk about boys on her Uncle's couch.

Charlie did not respond. She didn't wish to get into another argument that day.

"He practically claimed his territory as soon as he got here," said Bass. Charlie shot up at his sentence, her glare furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Bass smirked again, leaning forward to Charlie. It reminded her of her first day here, when Nora and Miles were having morning sex in Miles's bedroom. "I mean that that boy isn't claiming anything."

Charlie realized that the game was back on, and she was more than ready to play. "I don't think you really have a penchant for territory," she whispered. "I think you just take whatever you want, whenever you want."

Bass's nostrils flared, earning a celebratory lip bite from Charlie. Here she was, minutes after an argument with her brother and a tense conversation with her boyfriend, flirting with her Uncle's best friend. She couldn't help it though. Charlie barely knew the men, but found herself inexplicably drawn to him.

"Over the next few days," said Bass. "I'll be taking that territory from him."

Charlie snickered, "That's the best you can come up with? I was hoping for a wittier innuendo. But you can try all you want to take, but I think you'll find it harder than you expect." Charlie stood, making sure her backside flared out as she did. She could feel his eyes on her as she sauntered away, proud of having the last word in the conversation.

"Oh, Charlotte?" Her given name sent her veins fully of a fiery ice, and it took all of her self control not to moan at the sound of it rolling off of his tongue.

"Hm?" she said, turning around at the doorway. She felt her shirt ride up slightly, revealing her toned stomach to him.

"Everything seems to be just right," he said. "My pawns are lined up to capture the queen."

Charlie's breath caught, and she turned with burning cheeks to go to her bedroom. She slammed the door closed behind her, back ramrod straight against it. Her chest heaved, and she reveled in the heat filled conversation that just took place. The mere thought of Bass _taking what he wanted_ causing a shooting pleasure to her lower abdomen. The thought of her being _his queen_ made her itch with desire.

Charlie felt her hands up her shirt, and found her self squirming against the door. She massaged her breasts with an expert tease, taking from Jason's technique and adding a necessary roughness to help herself get off. Leaving one hand up her shirt, she let the other wander and began to play, her back hitting the door. Within minutes, Charlie was biting back a scream at the thought of Bass fucking her against the door. She came around her hand and caught her breath, catching her appearance in the reflection of the window across from her.

Bass was bringing her nothing but trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: This might be my favorite chapter so far. By the way, I don't check for any grammar, continuity or spelling mistakes, so I'm sorry if this story is hard to read! :( Let me know if anything is wrong. Also, I love it when you guys give me constructive criticism in the reviews section because it tells me more of what you guys want to read. So yeah, just PLEASE _read and review_, because I love getting e-mails saying that I have new reviews.

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It was later that night when Charlie finally exited the bedroom. The stunt she had pulled against her door had brought her pounds of guilt, and she needed to rid herself of the dirty sweat upon her skin with a long hot shower. It didn't help that Bass's scent was hanging on the walls of said shower, and she felt herself repeating the earlier action with the detachable shower head. Of course, now not even a shower could cleanse her so she spent the entire day reading about mitosis from one of the thick books on Miles's bookshelf she had found earlier. The book was so drawn out and boring that she found herself waking up against it, hours later. Her cheek was sticky with spit, no doubt from her naughty dreams about Bass that caused her to moon over him even in her sleep. Music had woken her up at about ten o'clock, and she was shocked to find that she had napped for such a long time.

Charlie went to the bathroom and freshened up, pulling her hair into a bun. Back in her room, she peeked out the doorway to find the apartment full of people who were having a bit too much of a fun time. Charlie shut the door immediately and looked down to see that she was still clad in her clothes from earlier. She searched her drawer until she found a skirt and nice top that would allow her to fit in to the crowd to some extent.

Charlie exited the door precariously. She ventured down the hall to see Nora and Miles kissing on the couch. Not only was there that, but the apartment was full of people, making it hard for Charlie to even move around. Some where macking over each other, but most were making fools of themselves by trying to sing along to the music that probably no one had ever heard of before. Bass, after all, was one of those guys that always insisted on indie music to throw off the audience.

Charlie left the hall and wen to the study, which was a lot less crowded. There were about ten people in there, who were a lot more sober than the others. Charlie glance around to find Bass at the bar, serving drinks. There was a dark haired girl with a much too tight dress hanging over his arm, her red lips pressed to his neck as she whispered something. Bass seemed not entirely unaffected, but he was certainly more focused on the drinks in front of him.

Charlie crossed the room, her arms crossed. "Sebastian," she greeted, snatching the whisky from his hand and downing it in a single gulp.

His eyes darkened. "Calling me Sebastian now I see?"

"You call me Charlotte," she said. "I thought about calling you Monroe, but that had a hint of formality too it. Thought about calling you Bass, too, like Miles but that was too familiar. So Sebastian it is."

Bass echoed her words. "So Sebastian it is…"

His attention was now entirely on her, leaving the dark haired girl groaning for his attention. "Bassy!" she squirmed against him. Bass shifted, obviously uncomfortable.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Charlie. "I thought Nora was throwing a party on Saturday, not Thursday."

Bass chuckled. "You can blame this one on me," he raised his glass to hers with a nod of cheers. "I just couldn't wait for the challenge you had spelled out for me earlier on the couch. Better sooner."

Charlie gaped at his words, and poured herself another shot. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, raising her chin to him.

"Don't play stupid, Charlotte," said Bass.

Charlie was at a loss for words, and thankfully the brunette interrupted their conversation. "Bass, baby, you wanna get out of here?"

Bass smirked. "Yeah, you know what? I do." Charlie blinked at his words. She had fully expected him to drop the whore in favor of her. However, she was not disappointed in his next action. "Charlotte? Care for a ride on my bike?"

The whore's mouth dropped in shock. "You're seriously asking this kid to hook up with instead of me? She's like, twelve."

"But I'm obviously better at holding my liquor than you," said Charlie, commenting on the girl's slurred words and obnoxiousness. "Let's go."

Bass raised an eyebrow and dropped the girl from his grasp. He stepped around her bar, two beers in hand for them both. "One for the road," he said. He placed his hand on the small of Charlie's back and led her to the door. On their way out, he was sure to grab both of their jackets; a leather one for himself and a peacoat for Charlie that she had left on the coatrack on Tuesday.

Bass handed Charlie the beers and draped the peacoat over her shoulders. He took the beers back, then helped her get each arms through, letting his hands rest on her shoulders, his lips close to her ear. Then, he pulled away, muttering something under his breath and left the apartment to have her follow him.

Like the last elevator ride that they had, this one was tense with unanswered questions. It was not as uncomfortable, though. On the way down, Charlie found herself inching closer and closer to Bass. She realized he was doing the same when they were shoulder to shoulder. The doors made a ping and opened for them.

They walked to the parking garage with small chat now. Bass commented on how cold it was, followed by Charlie's agreement.

"God, it's fucking freezing," he said.

"Totally," was Charlie's response.

And that was the extent of it.

However, as soon as they entered the parking garage, a gust of wind came, causing Charlie to double over from the biting wind. Bass's arms came swooping down around her shoulders as he pulled her into his side to protect her from the incoming gusts.

"Thanks," said Charlie, once they were in safe vicinity.

Bass didn't comment, nor did he drop his hand. They reached his bike, and, like last time, Bass handed her the helmet. This time, Charlie didn't take it.

"What?" he said. Her expression was accusatory, but with a hint of a smile.

"Are you sure you're not too drunk to drive this thing?"

His lips twisted into an evil grin. "What? You scared of a little danger?"

Charlie stepped towards him, wrapping her hands around the helmet. She noticed that he didn't let go, and took another step. Their hands were now wrapped around the helmet that was pushing into both of their midsections, acting as a guard of sorts.

"No," she said. "Standing around you is dangerous enough. And I don't even know a thing about you."

"I tell you what," said Bass. "You ride with me on the bike…. and I'll tell you everything you want to know. With some exceptions."

"Deal," said Charlie, finally pulling the helmet from his grasp. Pulling her bun from its position on her head, she let her waves fall over her shoulders. She pulled the helmet onto her head, but it was too large and fell over her eyes, obscuring her vision completely.

Bass began laughing and tilted it back so that he could see her blue eyes. When he saw them tinted with embarrassment, his small laugh turned into a large one, causing his laugh lines to deepen. There were crinkles around his eyes, too.

"It's not funny!" said Charlie, pouting.

"It's totally funny," said Bass, sobering from his laugh fest. "And totally fucking adorable."

Charlie looked away at that; her cheeks grew red. Bass took the hint and threw a leg over the motorcycle, patting the empty space behind him. "Hop on," he said. Charlie did.

She swung a leg over the seat, conscious about her skirt riding up. Pressed up against Bass, she started squirming to force it into a suitable position. She heard his intake of breath and smirked. Wrapping her arms around his midsection, she pressed her breasts against his back and wiggled a bit more. She tightened her thighs around his, and his breath caught. "Quit," he said; his voice was gravelly. Charlie skeptically obliged, despite her hands wanting to wander further down form his abdomen.

Without a second thought, Bass revved up the motorcycle and they were flying out of the garage. Charlie felt her hair whip out from underneath the helmet and tightened her grasp around Bass's waist. The cold air bit into her legs as he swung around a corner, so deep that he thought that the would tip over and her skin would meet the concrete.

"Are you sure you're not drunk?" called Charlie over the wind.

"I'm positive," said Bass as they sped through a yellow light. Charlie bit her lip, not too sure.

The ride went on for about ten minutes before Bass pulled into yet another parking garage. He shut off the bike, but Charlie was still pressed to his body.

"Charlotte," he said. "We're here."

"Right," said Charlie, still shaking a bit. She stepped off the bike, pulling the helmet off of her head.

"Are you okay?" asked Bass. His eyebrows tightened as he looked her over.

Charlie nodded. A smile of relief came over her suddenly, allowing a tinge of pink to color her cheeks. "That was the most exhilarating experience of me life," she said.

"So far," commented Bass, taking the helmet from her. "Come on," he said. He grabbed her elbow and led her to a nearby stairwell. "It's going to be a long walk, but it's worth it."

He pushed open the heavy door and began running up the staircase, Charlie following close behind. "Where are we going?" she called after him, laughing.

"You'll see," said Bass, a few steps ahead.

Charlie found herself out of breath nearly twenty levels later and snatched Bass's shoulder when she became too exhausted to continue. "Can we take a break?"

"Luckily, yes," said Bass. Charlie looked around to see that they had reached the top of the building, and she felt her chest swell with pride at the fact that she had made it all the way up.

"Ready?" asked Bass, one hand on the door that would undoubtedly lead to the roof.

"Ready," said Charlie. Her hands were wrapped tight around his bicep, which she knew Bass was flexing to make it seem bigger.

Without a moment's notice, Bass pushed open the door and a rush of cold air met them, blowing Charlie's hair behind her shoulders. She curled in tighter to Bass's side as they stepped out onto the roof, the air now settling around them. The sight that greeted them took Charlie's breath away as she dropped her grasp on Bass and walked towards the edge.

"It's beautiful," she said. And it was. The two of them were far enough away from downtown Chicago so that they could see the entire skyline silhouetted against the Great Lake in the background. Small windows of light illuminated the scene, and she could see blurs of red on the streets below and felt like a God watching his Lego collection below.

Charlie placed her bottom on the edge of the roof, allowing her legs to dangle over. The distance from the ground was nearly as high as the Chrysler tower—or so it felt that way. In reality, it was probably only half that size. She heard Bass gasp from behind her and found him to be standing by the doorway.

"Come over here," said Charlie. She extended a hand.

"No," said Bass. "You come here—please. You're so close to the edge… I'm afraid you're going to fall, Charlotte."

Charlie shook her head. "I'm not going to, Sebastian!"

"Please, just walk over here." Bass had his hands extended towards her and made a pleading motion.

"Why are you so scared? I'm not going to fall," said Charlie.

"Well I think you are," said Bass.

Charlie cocked her head to the side and squinted at him. "Sebastian," she whispered. "I'm not going to fall if I don't want to. It's impossible." Her voice then changed from teasing to somber. "Is that why you're afraid to come over here? You're going to let yourself fall?"

Bass stopped his pleading and just stared at her, his jaw dropped. She heard a noise in the back of his throat as he tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Are you afraid you're going to jump, Sebastian?" said Charlie, now spinning on her bottom to face him. She didn't use her hands to steady herself and felt her body wobble. But she had trust that she wouldn't topple over onto the concrete below. "Is that why you don't want to come to close to the edge?"

Bass glared at Charlie, and she felt like his blue eyes were penetrating her own. "Not at all," he said. Charlie knew the words were a lie, and she told him so through her gaze. "I'm just scared that I'm going to push you, Charlotte." The heaviness of his words made Charlie blink. His voice was not teasing; it was controlled and intimidating. Charlie felt exposed suddenly, like he was holding her captive.

And with that, Bass pulled two beers from the inside of his leather jacket and set them down on the roof before her. Charlie had forgotten that he had grabbed some from the bar before they left, and must've tucked them inside when she wasn't looking.

"This was a bad idea," said Bass. "I'll wait down by the bike. You can finish these and do whatever you're doing."

Bass turned his back on her and walked out. The echo of the slamming down was enough for Charlie to blink back tears at his sudden coldness.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: This chapter has a mild trigger warning for rape, but **no one gets raped**. It is just a guy trying to get Charlie's attention and maybe pushing her too far. Nothing graphic happens, just some groping! It's supposed to be a parallel to what actually happened in the show.

Also, I'm sorry this took me so long to update. Since university let out, I've been back home with my family! Just got back today and thought I'd update! Hope you enjoy, and please read and review!

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Charlie stared out over the rooftops of Chicago and let Bass's words sink in. His reaction to her statement rung through her mind, and she found herself playing their interaction over and over again in her mind in order to better understand it. They had seemed to be getting along before he had exploded in her face, and… and told her that he wished to push her off the roof. Those words seemed out of place and certainly not directed towards her. It was a defense mechanism, to be sure, Charlie concluded in her head.

She raised her chin to the stars and let the light of the city dance across her body. Charlie pulled herself from her sitting position and stood on shaky feet. The view would have to end for now. Charlie turned with one last look to make her way to the stairwell, leaving their untouched beers to most likely freeze in the cold night.

The trip down was much faster than their marathon up, and Charlie found herself at ground level in half the time. The door that stood between her and Bass seemed like a prison wall, and she almost felt free when she pushed it open to see Bass standing on the other side. He was brooding by his bike, the shadows of the artificial light casting dark shadows across the sharp features of his face. The stubble on his jaw made him seem more dangerous somehow, and Charlie felt the wind in her lungs being rushed out her at the sight of him. Bass almost looked daunting standing there, like a villain on the pages on a comic book.

Charlie froze, and their eyes locked. When Bass saw her nearly fearful expression, his gaze softened. His features relaxed, and his stance widened as his head tilted to the side in an unspoken apology.

"I want to go home," said Charlie. Her voice was surprisingly strong and did not falter as she had expected.

"You want to go back to Rachel and Ben and Danny?" said Bass. His voice differed from hers, and cracked in the middle of his sentence. He swallowed to clear his throat.

Charlie rolled her eyes. She walked to the motorcycle and grabbed the helmet from the handlebars. "That's not my home anymore."

Bass heard himself laughing, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm glad," he said, swinging his leg over the seat.

"Oh, you want me around now, do you? How do I know that you're not gonna purposefully crash this thing on the way back—" she paused "—home?"

Bass chuckled, "I'd be more than happy to if Miles wouldn't have my neck for it."

Charlie joined him on the back and wrapped her arms around her midsection. Before, she had kept some semblance of self-control on the bike; meaning, that she hadn't wanted to seem like she was blatantly flirting with the older man. Now, however, she pushed her breasts into his back and let a giggle hang in the air. She felt his breath hitch, so she tightened her grip on his abs and moved her hands a bit further down.

"Stop it," growled Bass.

Charlie feigned innocence, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bass muttered something back, but it was drowned out by the sound of the engine revving. They took off into the street and sped away from the building that had nearly caused a fissure in their carefully built relationship.

They returned home, and Bass pulled into the garage, letting a puddle splash a passerby. He pulled into his regular spot, but when they stilled, he made no movement to get off. Charlie had around swung herself off and was taking off her helmet when she saw his expression. It was strained, like he was holding something back. Charlie glazed her eyes over his features and swallowed a bit of bile that rose in her throat. "What's wrong?"

Her words made him snap out of whatever trance he was in, and he looked up in surprised. "Nothing," he said. He turned off the bike and stood to walk to the door. "Just lost in thought," he called over his shoulder.

Charlie followed him into the lobby. "What time is it?" she asked.

"About midnight," said Bass. They were standing by the elevators, but neither had pressed the button to call for one yet. At the same time, they walked forward to press "up", and their hands met on the button. Bass slowed, and Charlie stilled her movements. Their fingers were just grazing the others. Bass turned to look at her as his hand sought hers out and soon he interlocked their fingers. His gaze darkened as she turned to look at him and found herself much much too close to his face. They were merely inches apart, holding hands in the lobby for anyone to see.

The ding of the elevator woke them from their reverie, and Charlie jumped away from Bass to move to the elevator, where two stoned guys were getting off. Her hand slipped from Bass's, and he couldn't help but feel momentarily disappointed.

The ride up to their floor was tense, as it always was. The size seemed constricting, even though it was more spacious than most. The pair couldn't seem to stand anywhere but immediately next to each other, despite the feet of room around them. Nor did they mention it in need of more space. They simply stood and allowed the tension to permeate.

The elevator gave its ding again, and the pair moved to leave the elevator. The music could be heard from their stance, and Bass let out a heavy sigh. "It should be calming down by now," he whined and stomped in the direction of their apartment. Lucky for them, the neighbors were all around Charlie's age, and to be honest, already at the party. Bass walked in through the open door to be assaulted with bodies and smoke and liquid spilling out from cup and bottles from the people grinding against each other. Charlie followed, and her jaw dropped at the scene. She stepped inside and squeezed through the sweaty bodies until she found a pocket of air in the living room.

"Hey sexy!" she heard a voice off to her right, and she turned to follow it but became dizzy from the faces leering at her. A hand wrapped around her upper arm and yanked her around. She found herself face to face with a man about a foot taller than her. He was probably around 200 pounds and looked like one of those football players Danny obsessed with on television.

"Um," she stammered and tried to pry his hand from her arm.

"Can I get you a drink?" he slurred, spilling some of his drink down her shirt, most likely staining it.

"Well," said Charlie. "I'll get my own, thanks." She marched away to the bar, where Miles was no longer. It looked like a free for all, with people sloppily sloshing alcohol into red cups before stumbling away. All Charlie needed was a small drink before she went to bed, which was probably impossible. She shuddered to think of the things that were probably taking place in there right now.

Charlie scanned the table for an empty cup, but didn't find one. After the stressful day, she practically found herself craving one. "Do you want a drink?!" asked a drunk female voice to her right. Charlie nodded at the trashed brunette that was hanging onto her arm. "You can have mine! I feel awful." And then the girl stumbled away back into the crowd, but not before pushing her cup into Charlie's hands.

"Thanks," muttered Charlie as she took a sip of the liquor. It burned as it went down her throat, but soothed her rattled nerves. Needing more, Charlie upped the ante and took a large gulp. Her vision softened, and she thanked the alcohol Gods for their magic.

After a few minutes of mooching alcohol off of trashed sluts, Charlie felt her limbs weaken. The man that was talking to her earlier was back, this time with two drinks. "I got you the drink you wanted!" he said. Charlie's vision blurred, and she felt her lips trying to say something back, but she was unable to comprehend exactly what that was.

"Totally!" the guy shouted back.

Charlie yanked the cup from his hands and chugged it, throwing it to the side when she was finished. Her vision became double. The man was leering down at her, his nose practically in the cleavage of her shirt. Charlie leaned against the windowsill to support herself. "I don't feel so good…" she said. Her neck lolled back. The man licked his lips at the sight of her pushed against the window, and he stepped in between her legs and put his hand on her breast.

"Feel better now babe?" he asked, moving his lips to her splayed neck.

"Get off me…" said Charlie weakly, trying to push him away. "I have… boyfriend…"

"Don't be like that, babe…" he said, slipping his hands underneath her shirt.

"Leave me alone… get off me…" said Charlie, her speech becoming more and more incomprehensible. "Please…"

Suddenly, the man wasn't on her anymore. Charlie felt his hands leave her skin abruptly and a yell off in the distance. She watched through slit eyes as an unknown man that was too hard to see punch her perpetrator. She slipped from the windowsill and crashed to the ground, only looking at the ceiling. Then, she saw a man standing above her, trying to shake her awake.

"Monroe…" she said, her mind registering the savior's face. Then, her eyes fluttered closed and she drifted away.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n**: This chapter is kinda longer, but I really like it! It focuses on Bass and Miles at first, then switches to Charlie and Nora. Also, there is some drug usage in this, so if that counts as a trigger warning, then be warned! It's only soft drugs though. I'm trying to incorporate elements of the show into this, so yeah. That's the big bombshell at the end. Also, for the purposes of this fic, it's 2012 still and weed isn't legalized, which it probably will be in 2027. **Please read and review**!

* * *

_The flames around Charlie danced as she screamed in pain at its close vicinity. They licked at her skin and seared it; she felt blood drip from her arm and pool around her bare feet. She bared her teeth and struggled to tear from the bindings that held her hands tightly behind her back. She lurched and lunged, but nothing would free her from captivity. A noise to her right caught her attention, and she jumped at the unknown sound. From behind the raging fire, a figure started to form. Charlie squinted._

_ The flames parted to welcome the figure that was smiling at her: Monroe. Charlie's eyes widened as she looked at the unknown uniform he was wearing: blue, like he was a general from the 19__th__ century. His smile was captivating, if not a bit condescending, but as Charlie thrashed more and more, it changed into one of concern._

_ "Charlotte?" she heard the figure ask. His voice rang through her head, the worrisome tone taking over her senses. "Are you okay?" He came forward, a knife held out in his hand. Charlie's eyes momentarily widened at the sight of it, but she relaxed when he began cutting at the bindings the held her back._

_ Charlie brought her hands to the front and rubbed at her wrists. "I'm going to save you," said Monroe, taking her hands into his own. "You got that?"_

_ Charlie nodded, and she felt her knees growing weak. She started falling, straight into his arms that wrapped around her. Her back was now to his chest as he held her. In his arms, the flames changed to a solemn blue and began to fade. Monroe began stroking her wrist; she looked down to see an "M" branded onto her wrist. An identical one on his skin was to her left. "I don't…" stuttered Charlie, confused._

_ Monroe turned her around, so that she was facing him. He kissed the inside of her lips and gave her a tiny smile. "M," he said, "for Monroe and Matheson."_

* * *

Bass stared down at the face that was soundly sleeping before him; Charlie Matheson was curled up beneath the white sheets of her bed, her hair sheathing the right half of her face. Bass felt the urge to push it back behind her ear in order to gaze upon her further, and his hand was outstretching when the door opened to reveal Miles standing in the doorway.

"Uhh…" said Miles, "What are you doing in here?"

Bass gestured to her bedside table, where two Advil and a glass of water stood next to her alarm clock. "Bringing her some pain killers and water… kid had a fun night last night."

Miles cracked a grin, but tried to suppress it and give Bass a mocking scorn. "Let's not have her mother find out about that."

Bass laughed. "Rachel would crucify us. Have you talked to her at all?"

Miles moved from the doorway to sit precariously on the edge of the bed, looking at Charlie with slight concern etched onto her face. "She called when Charlie got here," he paused and turned to stare at the wall instead. "She wanted me to send her right home and all, but I… didn't want to deal with the Matheson wrath. Or Rachel for that matter. So I just told her that Charlie would be staying for as long as she would like. I said I would try and convince her to go home or make amends with her, but I don't want to force an unwanted reunion on Charlie. It's best that these things work themselves out." Miles craned his neck and looked at Bass, who was still watching Charlie.

"I get it," said Bass. Worry was apparent on his features, something that did not go unnoticed by Miles.

Miles stood and made his way around the bed to look at Charlie too. "You know," he said. "I get that you like her. Don't think I haven't seen the way you interact with her, trying to be all apathetic towards her. I know more than anyone that that means you're trying to distance yourself from her because of some unwanted feelings. Just be careful, man. I don't want to see her getting hurt."

Bass removed his eyes from Charlie and looked at Miles. His expression was genuine, and Bass nodded to concede to Miles's observations. "I don't want to see her getting hurt either," said Bass. Miles clapped him on the back.

After a few moments of standing in silence, Miles broke it. "You want lunch? I'm still a little hung over."

Bass glanced at the clock, which was blinking a 1:30 at him. "Yeah," he said. They exited the room and made their way to the small kitchen, which was absent of Nora's presence. "Nora here?"

Miles shook his head as he stood to reach the plates in the cupboards. "Nah, she had to go to this teacher's meeting."

"She teaches what again?"

"Something to do with engineering," said Miles. He pulled some bread from a cabinet and started to slab some mayonnaise on it. "I don't like to get into the specifics of it, but I know she loves it so I'll support it no matter what."

"So you two are getting serious?" asked Bass, taking a seat at the end of the table, where Nora normally sat.

Miles shrugged, a shy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He started packing the ham and turkey onto the bread.

"Awwww," cooed Bass. "I never thought you guys would last this long! How adorable."

"Shut up," said Miles, but Bass could see the blush that was forming on his cheeks. He finished up the sandwich and set it before Bass, null of any plate. Bass took it with a nod and sunk his teeth into the bread, chewing with thoughts full of Miles and Nora, and more importantly, Charlie.

* * *

Charlie stirred in her bed, the throbbing of her head being the main reason for her disturbed sleep. The sun was streaming in through the windows, signaling either the beginning or end to the day. Charlie groaned at the brightness and put her hand up to stop it from burning her retinas. She rolled over to look at the clock. 5:45 pm, it read. Because of the short winter days, the sun had been setting earlier and earlier. Next to the clock, were two Advil and a tall glass of water, which caused Charlie to realized how dry her mouth and throat was. She chugged down the glass, leaving an inch of water at the bottom, then swallowed the pills with what remained.

Charlie pulled open her drawer and clawed around for her phone, which was under a few gum wrappers and a sock. She had two unread messaged, one from Jason and the other from an unknown. Charlie read the one from Jason first.

_Where have you been? I miss you. Should we meet up later? Call me. X_

Charlie rolled her eyes, but found herself typing out a response.

_Reallyyyy hung over. Can I get a rain check on that?_

Jason texted back immediately.

_Sure. And hung over? Why wasn't I invited to this? _

_Last minute thing! Promise to let you know next time._

_Don't worry about it. Hope you feel better!_

_Thanks_

Charlie sighed at the conversation before her. Jason, despite his familial drawbacks, was a great boyfriend. He never questioned her, but she knew he would start getting antsy the more she held him off. Charlie moved to the next message.

_Charlie! It's Nora—Miles gave me your number. Apparently, you're still sleeping… crazy night last night, right? Anyway, Miles and Bass just let me know that they're going out for drinks tonight with some of their Marine buds. I'm going to be over at the apartment later, so I was thinking we should have a girls night? Let me know! –Nora._

Charlie smiled at her words. Nora was someone who wasn't too girly, but had just enough kick to her that she would enjoy spending time with. Charlie's fingers hovered over the keypad, twitching back and forth and she tried to formulate a response. Nora's text was nice, but seemed detached enough that she didn't really seem to care one way or the other if Charlie said yes. Charlie tried to invoke the same air in her message.

_Sure, Jason's busy anyway. Sounds fun!_

Jason was definitely not busy, but Charlie didn't want to seem like she didn't have anything better to do. Charlie rolled back over and caught her reflection in the mirror that stood on her other bedside table. She grimaced at her appearance. What exactly had happened last night? All Charlie could remember was drinking all that her stomach could muster when Bass had taken her back to the apartment. Vaguely, she could picture a large beefy man hanging over her, but that was all. Sighing, Charlie pulled herself from bed and headed to the bathroom to clean herself up.

The shower was long and hot, and Charlie let herself bask in the comforting massage that the shower head pounded against her back. Instead of using her own shampoo like she normally did, her eye caught that of Bass's. The brand was Old Spice, and the smell intoxicated her senses. Charlie rubbed a liberal amount into her hair and let in trail across her body, then down the drain. She shut off the water, then stepped out into the steamy bathroom. She worked through the kinks of her hair and let it sit limply around her shoulders. It was just going to be her and Nora tonight, so she didn't bother styling it or putting on makeup.

Charlie decided on a t-shirt and a pair of legging to relax in, and she heard the buzzer to the apartment go off only moments later. Charlie sprinted across the apartment to it.

"Hey, it's Nora," said the voice on the other end when Charlie inquired after it. Charlie let her up and wandered into the kitchen for something to end her growling stomach. The door lurched open moments later, revealing Nora.

"Hey!" said Nora, and Charlie's eyes took in her attire. Nora was dressed in stockings, heels, a modest skirt and button up top. She wore a pea coat over it, and frankly, it was the girliest thing Charlie had ever seen her wear.

"Um…" said Charlie. "Where did you just come from?"

"Just now?" asked Nora, setting her keys down on a nearby table and shrugging out of her jacket. "I was at a conference about drugs or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Why were you at a conference?" said Charlie. She walked over to the bar to pour herself a drink, but her stomach lurched at the very thought of drinking alcohol.

"Oh, you don't know where I work, do you?" said Nora, joining Charlie. She poured a small amount of vodka into her glass, but overwhelmed it with a fruity juice that took up most of the space. The drink was probably only about six percent alcohol.

"Nope," said Charlie, turning away from the bar and heading to the couch. Nora followed after her, collapsing onto one end of the couch before Charlie could get there.

"I'm a teacher at the university. Engineering stuff."

When Charlie raised her eyebrows at Nora's vague statement, she clarified. "Basically," said Nora, "I'm just really good at blowing stuff up."

Charlie laughed, and Nora joined her. "So what did you do at this conference?"

"Ugh, it was so boring. They were talking about the increase of usage in marijuana, blah blah blah, like anyone cares. Well, basically everyone on the staff cares expect for me, but that's only probably because I smoke it."

"You do?" asked Charlie, leaning forward. She was interested.

"Yeah, of course," she said. "So do Miles and Bass. Do you?"

Charlie remained quiet, her eyes glued to the tv screen that was completely blank. Nora watched her, then realization dawned on her face. "Are you seriously telling me you've never been high?"

Charlie shrugged, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. "It's against Jason's dad's platform, so he's always been adamant against me even coming within four feet of the stuff."

"Well guess what," said Nora, reaching for the side table. She pulled open the drawer, revealing about three grams of marijuana. "You're within three feet of the stuff. You wanna try it? I'm not going to pressure you into doing anything, don't worry."

Charlie played with the tassels on the end of the pillow, "Does it hurt?"

"It's like smoking a cigarette," said Nora, pulling out a small bag. She had taken Charlie's question as a yes. Following the bag, she put a glass ornament looking thing on the table next to it.

"What's that?" said Charlie, gesturing to the glass. There was an impression on the top, and a long shaft that led to a hole. On the side where the impression was, it was bulbous with a raised hole on the end.

"It's called a bowl," said Nora, pouring the weed from the bag so that it was on the table. She took a pinch of it and started packing it into the impression.

"Oh," said Charlie. She was intently watching Nora at work, as she packed the weed into it. Nora turned and rifled around in the drawer for a bit until she found a lighter. She held it in her right hand and brought the shaft with the hole in it to her lips. Holding a thumb of the opposite hole, she lit the top of it and sucked in a breath, before releasing the opposite hole. Charlie watched the weed burn as Nora sucked it in, before Nora moved the bowl away from her lips and puffed it out of her. Immediately, Charlie saw Nora relax incrementally.

"Your turn," said Nora, holding it out to her. "Just do what I did. I'll light it for you."

Charlie took it with shaky hands and put it to her lips. She covered the clutch with her thump, and when Nora put the flame to it, she sucked it, then released her hold on the clutch. Smoke filled her lungs, tasting of something that was sweeter than cigarettes, but was similar to chewing on a flower stem. "Swallow it," said Nora, so Charlie did, and felt her chest burn at holding it in her lung. Charlie dropped the bowl and coughed wildly at the feeling and burn in her throat.

"You want some water?" asked Nora.

"I'm fine," said Charlie. Her voice was tight, and her eyes watered.

"I'm gonna go get you some anyway," said Nora. She left the couch and made her way into the kitchen, her heels clacking against the floor.

Charlie stared at the bowl in front of her and decided to give it another try. She had heard many horror stories of her college friends' first try, such as throwing up or getting too high. Charlie wanted to do it, though, no matter the experience. She took the lighter that laid abandoned on the couch cushion and tried to spark a flame. It took a few tries, but she got it. Charlie took another hit, and felt something change in her this time. When she exhaled, she only coughed once, but felt much more relaxed. She moved to take another hit.

"Woah!" said Nora, entering the room. She was sporting a glass of water and was barefoot now. "Someone's enjoying themselves." Nora sat the glass of water in front of Charlie, and Charlie devoured it.

"I just really want to see what it's like," said Charlie.

Nora took another hit from the bowl and nodded. She puffed out smoke rings, before offering it to Charlie. "Chances are you won't get high your first time, but it always varies person to person."

Charlie took a hit and coughed it out again. She took another sip. "I really hope I get high my first time."

Fifty minutes later, Nora and Charlie were through the entire bag of weed, sporting red wine and laughing their asses off at some reality TV celebrity meltdown. "Oh my god," said Nora. "She's so fake! Her lips are like an inner tube."

Something about the way Nora said it sent Charlie into another fit of giggles. Apparently, everything was funny when you were high. Also, when you were high, the outside world seemed to shrink. Charlie felt like Nora and her were in their own little pocket of the universe and that no outside force could touch them. But whenever she looked outside the window, a whole world of possibilities opened up to her, and she was reminded of how insignificant her existence truly was.

"Miles would kill me," said Charlie in between laughs.

Nora shrugged, "I don't think he would. He's pretty open minded."

"How are things going with him?" asked Charlie.

Nora let a wide smile spread across her face. Her eyes glazed over more than they already were as she lost herself in her thoughts. "It's going really well. He makes me feel so special, and he never lies about anything. Do you know how we met?"

Charlie shook her head.

"We met at this dumb karaoke bar. I was only twenty-seven at the time, not that much older than you. I had just gotten my teaching job, and my friends took me out to celebrate. He approached me after my humiliating rendition of 'Dancing Queen' and said some cheesy line that I thought was adorable, for some reason. Probably because I was already a little tipsy. We didn't go home together that night or anything, but he talked to, like, all of my friends before he forced them to give him my number. He called me the very next day and took me out to dinner. He was sweet." Nora snapped out of her reverie and turned to Charlie. "How'd you meet Jason?"

Charlie shook her head, "I don't want to talk about him."

"Why not?"

"I think I'm going to break up with him."

Nora straightened up, "Why?"

"I like someone else, I think."

Nora was quiet for a few moments. "I think I know who it is. I'm not going to guess who, but I think I know. Listen to me for a minute. This guy that you like: he likes you too. But watch out, okay? He's broken more than a few hearts in his day. Plus, his son is, like, four years older than you."

"His _what_?" said Charlie, spilling a bit of her wine as she turned to fully face Nora.

"Oh fuck…"


End file.
